Exploring Media and Mass Communications
Because we get most of our information through various media technologies, the ability to access, analyze and evaluate media is a critical skill in today’s world. In the Media Studies Minor at UNC, you’ll learn to interpret the complex messages we receive from television, Internet, newspapers, radio and other types of media. You’ll learn about the history of media, as well as the impact of media on society while exploring topics ranging from freedom of speech to politics to pop culture.
The Media Studies Minor is a valuable addition to a variety of major subject areas including political science, education, psychology, sociology and performing and visual arts. It’s also an effective way to learn to apply critical thinking skills to a wide range of issues.
Minor Option
Minor in Media Studies
UNC’s Media Studies minor requires 18 hours and consists of courses in the Journalism and Media Studies (JMS) program and an optional Film Studies course. The purpose of the Media Studies minor is to provide liberal arts education in the history, roles, functions and effects of mass communications in society and culture.
Related Programs
Your Future in Media Studies
Learn about the roles, functions and effects of mass communications while improving your writing, editing and design skills. At UNC, you’ll find a collaborative learning environment led by accessible and supportive instructors who bring professional media experience to the classroom.
Consider UNC's Media Studies minor if you:
- Have an interest in media and its role in daily life
- Want to apply a media background to the study of your major
- Enjoy working in small classes with close faculty mentorship
You’ll learn:
- How media messages shape culture and society
- Issues and controversies in mass communications
- Verbal and written communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
Sample courses:
- Introduction to Journalism and Media Studies
- Impact of Mass Media on Society
- History of Mass Media
- Media Ethics
- Television Criticism
Where can your minor take you?
UNC’s Media Studies Minor will give you a foundational understanding of media and communications you can apply to a variety of career pathways, including public relations, broadcasting, advertising and marketing, just to name a few. Most importantly, a background in media studies provides analytical and critical thinking skills and a command of communications that will serve you in virtually any career.
Current Research in Media Studies
In addition to being caring, dedicated educators who work closely with students, our professors are noted researchers in their fields of study. Our current research projects include:
Media Ethics
Lee Anne Peck, Ph.D., Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications
Lee Anne Peck’s research explores diverse areas of media ethics. In 2007, she was awarded a Fullbright grant to teach at the University of Dubrovnik, Croatia, where she researched the status of the news media in the former Yugoslavia, a topic that continues to be a research interest. She recently co-edited a book with Guy Reel of Winthrop University titled Media Ethics at Work: True Stories of Young Professionals, published by CQ Press, an imprint of Sage. She has also contributed chapters to media ethics textbooks and has presented and published papers on the subject.
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